African bishops and cardinals attend a mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. (Vincenzo Pinto, AFP/Getty Images / October 25, 2009) |
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Vatican City -
Pope Benedict XVI ended a three-week Vatican meeting on Africa on Sunday with a call for peace and reconciliation among all people on the continent, regardless of ethnic and religious differences.
The pope celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica to cap the meeting on the role of the Roman Catholic Church in Africa.
"Courage! Get up, African continent!" Benedict said during the Mass, which he co-celebrated with some of the prelates who have attended the synod.
The pope also said that globalization should be regulated in order to include all nations, not just developed ones.
Globalization, he said, is not governed by forces that are independent of the human will and can be adjusted by men. He added that the Catholic Church was working to promote development for all countries.
Benedict said reconciliation was necessary to ensure a just peace in Africa, and he called on all people to contribute regardless of ethnic, religious, language, cultural or social background. He praised the work of missionaries as both respectful of the local cultures and essential to helping Africa move beyond hunger and disease.
The two-hour ceremony, which featured traditional music, chants and prayers from Africa, formally closed the synod. Among those who co-celebrated the Mass was Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, who was appointed Saturday to head the Vatican's justice and peace office.
The appointment was one of the most significant pieces of news to come out of the meeting, as it cements the cardinal's standing as a possible future papal candidate. Turkson told reporters three weeks ago that there was no reason there couldn't be a black pope, particularly after Barack Obama had been elected U.S. president.
The pope celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica to cap the meeting on the role of the Roman Catholic Church in Africa.
"Courage! Get up, African continent!" Benedict said during the Mass, which he co-celebrated with some of the prelates who have attended the synod.
The pope also said that globalization should be regulated in order to include all nations, not just developed ones.
Globalization, he said, is not governed by forces that are independent of the human will and can be adjusted by men. He added that the Catholic Church was working to promote development for all countries.
Benedict said reconciliation was necessary to ensure a just peace in Africa, and he called on all people to contribute regardless of ethnic, religious, language, cultural or social background. He praised the work of missionaries as both respectful of the local cultures and essential to helping Africa move beyond hunger and disease.
The two-hour ceremony, which featured traditional music, chants and prayers from Africa, formally closed the synod. Among those who co-celebrated the Mass was Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, who was appointed Saturday to head the Vatican's justice and peace office.
The appointment was one of the most significant pieces of news to come out of the meeting, as it cements the cardinal's standing as a possible future papal candidate. Turkson told reporters three weeks ago that there was no reason there couldn't be a black pope, particularly after Barack Obama had been elected U.S. president.
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